In the 1990s I was a member of a thriving singaround session in a Northern English city. the first pub we used closed. A couple of others appeared to be empty but still didn't seem to want us. Another pub installed a giant telly screen for Sky Sports and threw us out (I subsequently heard that the telly screen didn't attract many more customers). Yet another pub welcomed us for several years and was then 'refurbished' so we lost our room; the refurbishment appeared to do little for trade. Yet another pub promised us a room on a specific night but kept double-booking it. Others were dominated by loud, piped music ...

My point? Pubs are not what they used to be and neither are publicans. I suspect that behind dismal stories like this are a load of marketing men who are fixated on attracting 'yoof' at any cost.